3-Time Olympian & Olympic Flagbearer Ed Burke Sets World Record At PGSLC To Open National Masters, Meet Thru Sun

USA 1984 Olympic Flagbearer and 3-Time Olympian (1964, 1968 and 1984) Ed Burke Sets World Record to Open USA Masters Indoor Track & Field Championships at Prince George's Sports & Learning Complex in Landover, Maryland; Meet Continues Through Sunday with Ten Olympians, 30 World Champions Among Record 1044 Entrants

LANDOVER, Md., March 22, 2013 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Edward A. Burke, 73, Los Gatos, CA, this morning capped an athletics career spanning 6 decades and 3 Olympic Games separated by 20 years, by setting An American and world indoor record in the Men's 70-74 year old 35 pound ("Superweight") Throw to open the 2013 USA Masters Indoor Track & Field Championships at Prince George's Sports & Learning Complex in Landover, MD. The meet continues through Sunday with ten Olympians and 30 World Champions among 1044 entrants, a record for any U.S. indoor masters track meet.

PHOTO
1984 Olympic Flagbearer, 3X Olympian, Ed Burke, Los Gatos, CA sets M70 Superweight world record in Landover, MD at USA Masters Track & Field Championships; Photo by Bob Pates, USATF – Link to Photo <PHOTO: www.weinerpublic.com/20130322.jpg >

Upon making the USA Olympic team in 1984 at age 44 and competing in the Hammer Throw, Ed Burke was selected to be the USA team flagbearer at the games in Los Angeles. Burke was the first ever U.S. Olympian to participate in Olympic Games 20 years apart, after finishing 7^th place in the 1964 games in Tokyo. He also won the 1968 USA Olympic Trials Hammer Throw while nursing a shoulder injury and then represented the USA finishing 12^th place in the Mexico City Games.

Burke's throw of the 35 pound weight was 37 feet, 11 1/2 inches (11.57 meters), eclipsing the previous world indoor record of 34 feet, 9 inches (10.61 meters) set in 2006 by Robert Ward in Boston, Massachusetts. Earlier in the morning, Burke just missed the world record in the 16 pound Weight Throw. Last summer, Burke smashed the world record in the outdoor 16 pound Weight Throw.

Also setting world records during the first morning of competition were Orville Rogers, 95, of Dallas, Texas with a time of 2:24 in the 400 meters and Anthony Palazzo, 85 of  Providence, Rhode Island with an American record and world best in the 25 pound Superweight Throw with 20 feet 1 ¾ inches.

The 2013 USA Masters Indoor Track & Field Championships has attracted a record number of 1,044 masters athletes ages 30-95 from 47 states and 14 countries and continues through Sunday afternoon at Prince George's Sports & Learning Complex. Events go from 8AM-6PM Friday and Saturday and 8AM-2PM Sunday.

Spectators are welcome and are free.

CONTACTS: Bob Weiner, USA Track & Field National Masters Media Chair 202-306-1200, 202-329-1700, [email protected]; Eric Braschwitz, member, National Masters Media Committee 919-349-0694.

SOURCE Robert Weiner Associates and USATF National Masters Media Committee